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He ry and half aroused "Be safe, lubi back until he was inside the elevator and the doors were almost closed He met her eyes at the last moment and saw her lips move almost silently

"You, too," she said

Chapter Nineteen

Raphael ca it behind him It wouldn’t lock Cyn in, but it would keep anyone else out Elke aiting for hi in the open doors between the elevator hallway and the great roo froo anywhere alone," he ordered "Nowhere, Elke"

"Yes, my lord"

Raphaelthe seriousness of his order He knew all too well Cyn’s ability to talk people into things they wouldn’t do otherwise, and she and Elke were friends of a sort But he was Elke’s Sire and his ould trulance that had Elke stiffening to attention "I will protect her, my lord On my life"

Raphael nodded and turned his attention to Duncan, who’d crossed to his side "Sophia is waiting outside, Sire And our people are working on ferreting out Colin Murphy’s record Maxi the Defense Department’s records would be an enjoyable exercise of her skill"

"I’d rather she focus on the possible breach of security"

"I said as nostics will run without her intervention for several hours, while the records search on Murphy would take, in her words, a fun few minutes"

"Tell her to keep in touch, Duncan This little trip to Vancouver will probably take up ht"

"I’ve already instructed her to call as soon as she has anything"

Their conversation had taken thereat room to where Juro waited near the entrance At a nod frolass doors to admit a blast of wet, cold air

"Lovely weather," Raphael coreed "Perhaps we should consider relocating froh the open door of the waiting SUV, sliding across the bench seat to ive the idea all due consideration," Raphael replied

The journey to the border was surprisingly quick The three SUVs slowed as they neared the boundary between the US and Canada, and Raphael waited to feel the press of Lucien’s power against his own It struck him that he should have sensed the first trickles of the other va across their territorial lines He kneith certainty that Lucien could detect his power from well inside the Canadian side of the border, even within his own lair Try as they nty, poas not so that could be cut with a knife There was always leakage

But tonight, there was nothing of Lucien to be felt, not even within the border checkpoint, where they waited while the Canadian agents verified their identification Sophia’s Brazilian passport caused a small delay, but only because it was unexpected Raphael and his people were all perfectly legal citizens of the US and carried valid passports to prove it Vaht not consider themselves subject to human law, but neither did they flaunt it unnecessarily

As they waited, Raphael sent out feelers, searching for Lucien, but he still felt nothing at all He frowned, concentrating harder as they crossed the territorial line and headed toward the lights of nearby Vancouver

"We’ll go to Lucien’s headquarters, Juro," he said, suddenly "Have Sophia call ahead to prepare his staff I don’t want any pointless shows of defiance"

"Yes, ave directions over the radio to the SUV in front of them